(1) Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is for a wipe warmer for heating and humidifying wipes therein, and more particularly relates to a humidifying device placed within a wipe warmer to prevent excessive drying or yellowing of the wipes therein.
(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Various wipe warmers are known for keeping baby wipes in a warm environment, so as to provide deeper cleaning and to reduce irritation to baby's skin caused by cold wipes. However, most of these wipe warmers fail in maintaining appropriate wetness of the baby wipes over a prolonged period of time (baby wipes may dry and discolor). Although some conventional wipe warmers are designed to be used with a wetting pad/sponge for the purposes of preventing baby wipes from dehydrating and discoloring, there remains a need for better and longer lasting ways to keep baby wipes wet.
For example, China Patent No. 01278643.8 (which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety) discloses a conventional wipe warmer having a thermal tank for heating water therein, a tray positioned above the thermal tank for bearing baby wipes, and a net formed between the thermal tank and the tray. In operation, the net is also heated when the thermal tank heats the water, thus stabilizing the air temperature in the inner room as defined by the thermal tank and the tray. Accordingly, warm vapor with stable temperature is introduced to the baby wipes via through holes of the tray. However, in practical use, the heated net adjacent to the tray may cause the lower baby wipes to dry up faster, thus decreasing the effectiveness of the warm vapor.
Furthermore, Applicant's own U.S. Pat. No. 6,674,048 8 (herein incorporated by reference in its entirety) discloses a conventional wipe warmer also having a thermal tank for heating water therein and a tray positioned above the thermal tank for bearing baby wipes. This conventional wipe warmer further includes a sponge disposed on the bottom of the thermal tank to support the tray. Since this sponge is soaked in the water and disposed between the thermal tank and the tray, it may serve as a thermal buffer between them, thus decreasing heating effect to the baby wipes. Moreover, while naturally formed pores of the sponge pad can serve as passage ways for warm vapor, a sponge directly in contact with the bottom of the thermal tank over an extended period of time may be damaged by heat.
As a result, there is still a need for improving wipe warmers so as to largely minimize drying and discoloration of on baby wipes received therein.